Worlds End Rhapsody
by Lotusxdoll
Summary: Jim wakes up to find the world he knew is gone. Adapting and trying to survive is hard enough, but dealing with a woman he can't stand is even harder. Jim/OC
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So I have a confession... I love 28 days later. I have for years and it's an odd sort of love. I was watching the movie not long ago and was like geeeez why haven't I made a fanfic about it yet?! So here it is! 28 Days Later is not my brain child, I just own my dear little Katie.

"Isn't that like your third gin and tonic? Boy, you're throwing them back tonight huh?"

The room was dimly lit and foggy from all the cigarettes that had been smoked that night in the windowless room. Body glitter and booze bottles littered the floor and dressing tables. A woman sat at one of the tables with her feet propped up on it and a half filled glass caressing her lips. She glared at the woman that had spoken to her.

"Shut up you coke whore." The woman walked over to her and stood behind her, placing her hands on the chair. She leaned down and began to whisper softly into the other woman's ear.

"Don't get mad because all your wrinkles are starting to show. How does it feel to be the only woman with sagging tits in the room? Why do you even bother to show up, no one wants to see you anymore." She then stood up straight and walked out of the room, purposely swaying her narrow hips with every step.

The woman at the dressing table threw back the remains of her drink in one gulp. Making sure no one was around, she leaned into the mirror to see if she really had wrinkles. Much to her relief she saw none. She eyed herself in the mirror, fingering her dark brown hair in curls that cascaded down her back . Her eyes were a clear hazel and her skin flawless and tan. She didn't have the perfect body but it was nice enough for her job.

She was in her mid-twenties, but in her line of work, she was well beyond her prime. She knew it, but what else was she to do? She had neither trade nor a good education.

It seemed like all she knew how to do was dance and drink. Drink and dance.

Her petit hand covered her eyes, fighting off the tears that threatened to fall. This was her life, and there was nothing better out there for her.

With shaky hands sliding down her makeup-covered face, she stared at herself long and hard. She despised her cherry red painted lip, her smoky eyes and light blush. It all just reminded her of the years she had wasted in this hell hole, night after night, wearing the same mask of makeup.

There was no point crying now, she had made her decision long ago that this was going to be her life, but was it too late to change her mind? How sound was a 17 year olds decision making capabilities anyway?

It felt like so long ago when she was just 17, young and but far from innocent. One tends to lose their naïve, young mind when parented the way she was.

Her mother was an infamous drunk, never seen without a bottle of vodka in the clutches of her hand. Thinking back, the young woman could recall times when her mother would drink mouth wash in desperate attempts to stay in her drunken haze. That was usually when she would claim that she would stop drinking, but quickly would realize how she hated being sober.

She hated being a mother, she hated being a wife, she loved forgetting she was either, she loved not having a care in the world.

Her husband was a spineless man, not the man she had wanted to marry. He didn't like going out or doing anything fun. All he ever did was work, come home, sleep, eat and repeat the cycle again the next day. He ignored his wife's drinking problem.

He ignored how his wife would swing his leather belt at their only daughter, he'd ignore her screams of agony and pain as the belt would mercilessly crack down on her bare back.

Trying to tell Sara to stop was more trouble than it was worth when she was drunk and Milton just wasn't willing to deal with it. He had a hard enough time at work. Besides, his daughter would learn to stop aggravating her mother as he had.

At 17 the young girl could no longer deal with the life her parents gave her. She knew she would do nothing wrong, yet her mother would find any excuse to lash out at her, attack her with her tiny, brutal fist and heart breaking words. She couldn't recall a time her mother held her close and whispered words of love or encouragement.

All she remembered were beatings, being yelled at or just flat out ignored. Only one person adored her, and that was her grandmother.

Sweet Nana, how she doted on her only granddaughter. She showered the girl with love and praise, but she was gone now. No longer could she stay in that home. So, she ran away, far away from the sleepy town by the English country and to London.

The young woman stood up from her dressing table, tugging on her tight booty shorts and bikini top. There wasn't much left to the imagination, but it was part of her line of work. Sometimes she would find herself laughing at the irony of her running away to find a better life only to end up in another hell.

It seemed like there was no escape for her, not now, not ever.

"Calling to the stage, Ms. Scarlet!" she heard a few claps, but nothing to be wowed by. She took a deep breath before throwing on her smile filled with false confidence. Her stilettos clicked with every strutting step she took.

Scarlet grabbed the gold pole and swung from it, her leg expertly hooking around it and allowing her to glide around it. She shot a charming smile to an older man with gray hair and a perverted smirk. She was his favorite dancer. He came nightly just to watch her and always asked if she would go home with him. No amount of money was enough for her to sleep with any man. She always declined everyone's offer.

On her hands and knees, she crawled over to him, her perky ass sticking in the air teasingly. He held out a 5 dollar bill and watched with lust coated eyes when she seductively took the money with her mouth and backed away slowly, still crawling.

Now came the part she hated. She stood up and undid her bikini top. She hated the way the men eyed her breast. They were all disgusting beings, not caring that she was a lost soul that needed saving and love, only seeing a nice rack and ass.

She lay on her back, reaching out and grabbing the dirty money that had been thrown at her. Feeling the same sense of shame she always did, she threw it over her body in front of her audience.

She didn't want to keep feeling the shame, the self-hatred and she didn't want to keep wallowing in her own self-pity waiting for someone to save her.

No one was going to save her, she had to save herself, but she had no idea how to.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here is chapter 2. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who still loves 28 Days Later... But so what?! It's a classic! A classic I do not own =(

Before everything she knew had turned to chaos, she never appreciated showers or having the luxury of clean clothes on a daily bases. She reminisced about all the food she once ate, it was a tragedy for her to think of all the times she wasted much of it. Sitting on a crate and munching on a sugary energy bar, she let out a sigh. A crowbar rested on her lap. All she ever ate now were sugary things. She was always jittery and had a terrible time sleeping, but that didn't matter. It wasn't like she would have been able to sleep well even if she hadn't been on her sugar rush diet.

She was sure at one point, as a child, eating nothing but sugar and drinking soda would have been her dream. Now it made her sick to her stomach even looking at a Pepsi can, but it wasn't like clean water was easy to find now.

Looking around the tight space made her feel claustrophobic. Once upon a time, the underground station had bustled with life and she was sure the convince store she sat in constantly had people in it. Now it was her temporary hiding spot, away from the dangerous world above.

Most of the shelves had been knocked down long ago. The floor was littered with cans of soda, chips and other junk foods. She noticed some money by the closed cash register. It almost made her laugh when she thought back to how much that money would have meant to her before. Money no longer had value. Nothing but supplies had value now.

The door busted open, causing the young woman to almost choke on her poorly chewed energy bar. She let out a cough, lightly pounding on her chest to bring it back up.

"Sorry 'bout that princess." A man, wearing a gas mask and goggles, walked over to her and grabbed her can of unopened soda. She frowned as she watched him open it; take off his mask and down it in a few gulps.

"Good to see you too Mark." She flatly spoke, lightly kicking her backpack that laid by her feet.

"Come on now, we just risked our lived out there while you sat in here doing nothing. Least you can do is let me have your pop. There's a bunch on the floor."

"I volunteered to go out with you guys."

Mark flopped down beside her, grinning. "Now, now, we couldn't risk that pretty face of yours." She rolled her eyes, shoving him.

"Who's he?" she questioned rudely, suddenly aware of another male in the room. A male she did not know.

"That's what we're about to figure out." Another woman spoke, looping a thick chain around the door handles and locking the padlock. She walked over in long strides towards Mark and sat in a red chair. She lifted the goggles she was wearing and let them rest on the top of her head. Her skin was flawlessly brown and her lips perfect and full.

"Maybe he's a doctor." Mark spoke thoughtfully, observing the man's minty blue scrubs.

"No, he was a patient." The dark skinned woman eyed the man with her dark brown, distrusting eyes.

"Well I'm Mark, she's Selena," he nodded his head over to her. "And this is Katie."

"Congratulations." Katie cheered unenthused. "You're now a member of our club. Welcome." She took another bite of her energy bar.

"I… What's going on here? Those people, why were they after me like that? Where is every one?" the man walked over to a corner and slid down the wall, holding his head in his hands. Katie could tell at one point the left side of his head had been shaven bold. It grew back, but not enough to hide a large scar. The right side of his hair was longer, just touching past his ear.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Jim."

"Well that's a boring name Jim." Katie taunted, smirking at him with her full pink lips.

"Don't tease him Katie. He's been through enough today. He doesn't need your banter on top of that." Mark said.

Katie frowned, but nodded. "Fine."

"Now what about my questions." Jim asked, fiddling with a sloppily wrapped bandage on his forearm.

"The world's ended, can't you tell." Katie dully spoke, stretching her slender legs out in front of her. Mark frowned.

"You'll have to excuse Katie, she's very moody when she doesn't have booze coursing through her poor veins. Surprise the lady made it this far without a drink."

"Oh, piss off Mark."

"Stop it you two." Selena's hair had been wrapped up to keep it from her face. It seemed to Katie no matter what Selena would wear, she always looked good. "You're not helping. He needs our help, not your bickering."

"Fine." Katie immaturely crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, all we have to offer you is bad news."

"It started off as riots, but even from the beginning, we knew something was different. First in small villages, marketing towns… And then it wasn't on tv anymore. It was on the streets. It was coming through your window. It was a virus, an infection. You didn't need a doctor to tell you that." She paused for a moment, as if letting what she said sink in. "They tried to evacuate the cities, but it was too late. The infection was everywhere. The army blockades were overrun, and that's when the exodus started. The day before the TV and radio stopped broadcasting, there were reports of infection in Paris and New York. You didn't hear anything more after that."

"A… Virus?"

"They call it the rage virus." Katie spoke, looking into his stunningly blue eyes. They reminded her of a picture she had seen years ago of a body of crystal clear water. It was so clear that the sand at the bottom of the water, even the colorful fishes, she could see clearly. He was tall, taller than her, and thin. His body was nothing remarkable or Greek God like. His lips were full on top and thin at the bottom, almost hidden by his light brown beard. She concluded at that moment that she thought he was handsome.

"I don't understand." He admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, almost embarrassed by how stupid he was sure he sounded. Mark offered him a friendly smile.

"It makes people mad." Katie explained. "In a matter of seconds, the infected becomes psychotic. They are no longer the person they once were. All they want to do is dig their pretty little teeth into you. Once the virus got out, it went around quickly. And here you stand in the aftermath."

Jim nodded, letting the information sink in. He wanted to say he totally understood, he wanted to be as calm and cool and the three people before him, but he was scared. What happened to his parents? What about everyone he knew?

Jim awkwardly cleared his throat before speaking. "What about the government? What are they doing?" he asked. Selena smirked, letting her head roll back against the plush chair. Katie laughed a little, but it lacked real humor.

"There is no government." Katie sang, almost mockingly.

"There can't be no government! There is always a government! They're… They're in a bunker or a plane!"

"There isn't!" Katie hissed, slightly annoyed. "There isn't a such thing as a government anymore. No one is gonna swoop us out of here and ta-da, life goes back to normal."

Mark frowned. "She's right. There's no army, no police. No TV, no radio, no electricity. You're the first uninfected person we've seen in six days.

"What about your families?"

"Dead. So is Selena and Katie's families."

"And yours will be too." Selena darkly spoke.

Jim shook his head disbelievingly. "I have to go find my parents." He stood up and walked towards the locked doors.

"Whoa, you want to what now?" Mark stood up. "That's not a good idea, I'm telling you."

"I need to find them. It's not far, I can walk it. I'll go alone." He started to yank on the doors, in a desperate attempt to get out. He knew the door was locked, but he had to try.

"Go alone and you'll die." Katie sang again, playing with her straight brown hair. Jim frowned at her. He really wanted to throw something at her face, just to shut her up.

"You just don't have an off switch do you." Mark mumbled before turning his attention back to Jim. "Look, I know you want to find your parents, but if you go back out there…"

"I can go alone."

Mark sighed. "Lesson one, no one goes out alone, unless you've got no choice. We travel in groups. It's safer that way. And lesson two, we travel during the day, unless you've got no choice."

"Our group used to be larger. Some decided to look for loved ones alone and they didn't come back. If you leave here alone, you won't come back. The infected will get you." Selena warned.

"I need to go… I have to see if their alright. If there's even a chance that they survived, I have to know. I have no idea what's going on…" Katie frowned, feeling sympathetic for the man.

"Selena, come on. The bloke just wants some closure. It's not too bad in the morning you know. We could make it." Mark nodded in agreement.

"We should go with him in the morning, just so he can find his dead parents." Selena sighed, but nodded.

"Fine, but you know the rules. If you fall behind, you get left. No if, and's, or but's."

"What happened to you anyway?" Mark asked, throwing Jim a shitty energy bar. "Eat."

Jim eyed the bar, frowning. He hated this brand. "I was a bicycle delivery man." He heard a light laugh. His eyes landed on Katie, covering her mouth. Her body shook with her laughter and it made Jim want to throw the energy bar at her face.

"They still do that? Picture that, a grown man riding around London on a bike."

"Katie, leave him alone. Let him finish." Selena ordered, rolling her eyes at Katie.

"Anyway, I got hit by a car." He put the energy bar down. He was hungry, starving actually, but he was not going to eat it. "Guess I been in a coma."

"Sucks for you. Waking up and finding everyone dead I mean."

"Shut up Katie."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own 28 Days Later

Jim sat with his knees cradled to his chest. He wanted to be like the other three, fast asleep, but his mind would not let his eyes stay closed for long. There were no words to describe how it felt to wake from a coma and realize the whole world as he knew it was over.

There was still a lot he didn't understand, but for now all he could do was rely on the three people that slept around him.

Jim had never been shy as a child, but with this group, he found himself not speaking as much. He didn't know these people from a hole in the wall, but he had to trust this odd group for now. He knew he couldn't make it out there without them.

Jim's heart longed to know if his parents were alive. He had to know. Allowing himself to think they were dead just didn't seem like an option. They had to survive like he did because he refused to believe otherwise.

His intense blue eyes wondered to Selena. She slept cradling her machete as a child would a stuffed animal. He laughed lightly, wondered if she had been such a hard ass before the virus.

She was beautiful, like a model almost. Her skin was flawless and her eyes held an attractive, fearless determination. That same fearlessness had saved his life earlier that day.

He then looked at Katie. Her lips were full and her hair wild as if it hadn't seen a comb in days. Perhaps it really hadn't. She was pretty, nice on the eyes, but no beauty. Not like Selena was.

Katie was jaded; he could see it in her hazel eyes. Life had made her bitter and because of that, she was a total bitch. He couldn't help but wonder how Selena and Mark managed to keep their faces so clean, yet Katie had smudges of dirt on hers.

Maybe she'd look better if she were cleaner. Maybe she'd look better if she wasn't such a bitch Jim thought. By no means was she ugly, and if he were to be honest, in the past she would have been the type of girl he would admire from a far, but her attitude… Oh, her attitude ruined any type of friendship he could have had with her.

"Stop staring at me."

Jim's eyes widened as he pressed himself more into the wall in surprise. Was he really staring that hard at her?

"I wasn't- I was uh…" his words faded off, unsure of what to say to her. She sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"You were staring. I felt it."

"You were up the whole time?" she nodded. "Why?"

"I don't sleep well." She admitted. "Never really have I suppose."

"Lack of booze?"

"Piss off." She hissed. He smirked. Now he knew how to get under her skin like she got under his.

"Look, if you're an alcoholic, it's alright. It would explain why you're such a bitch though."

"Fuck you!" Her nose started to wrinkle.

"Now, you should know I would never let you do that." Her mouth hung open for a moment before she gave him the finger. He smirked, knowing he had won. Katie rolled over to her other side, facing away from Jim. She shut her eyes tightly, hearing him laugh quietly to himself.

"I hate you."

"Don't worry, the feeling is mutual."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own 28 Days Later

Katie looked up at the two-story house that was painted an eggshell white. It looked homey and inviting. She had no idea what those words actually meant, but she supposed it meant loving. Two cars were parked in the driveway. She wanted to say that it was proof Jim's parents were dead, but before she could even open her mouth, he was rushing inside.

"Jim! If you see-"

"Yeah I know." He shoved open the door.

"I mean it Jim! If anyone is-"

"I know!" he repeated before rushing inside, leaving Selena with her lips slightly parted.

"Should we follow him?" Katie asked.

"I suppose so." Mark answered while walking into the house. Selena shrugged her brown leather jacket covered shoulders.

Inside, they saw Jim standing by the stairs, looking as if he were debating going up. Katie rolled her eyes. She pulled out her crowbar and shoved him up the first step. Catching himself from falling, he glared at her and mumbled something. She wasn't sure what he said, but she clearly heard the word 'bitch'.

Cautiously, they followed behind him. Katie was fully ready to sacrifice him in case any infected popped out. The closer they got to the top, the more overwhelming a smell that was starting to become familiar grew.

Katie pulled the collar of her simple shirt over her nose. The smell was so strong, she could almost taste it. There was no real way to describe the smell of decaying flesh other than as stomach churning. It always managed to bring the taste of bile to her mouth.

Jim frowned deeply; he had smelled the putrid odor as well. His heart dropped to his stomach and his palms were getting sweaty. He felt Katie place a hand on his upper arm.

"I think we should turn back-" he ripped his arm away from her before she could finish her sentence. She held her hand up and slowly pulled it back. "Just trying to help."

"I don't need your help." He hissed before reaching the top of the stairs.

"I'll go see if the other rooms are clear." Selena spoke, pushing her way past the other two.

"I'll go too." Mark volunteered.

Katie looked around, realizing she stood alone in the narrow hallway. On every wall were picture frames. Every picture had either a happy, smiling couple or a young boy she figured was Jim. She started to wonder if her mother even had pictures of her as a child.

She let out a sigh and followed where Jim had walked off. She pressed herself against the doorframe, not really wanting to be noticed by him.

On the bed laid the couple from the pictures. They embraced each other, both looking as if they were in a peaceful slumber. Katie glanced at the nightstand, noticing an open bottle of pills and an almost empty bottle of alcohol.

Jim stood in shock, his eyes watering slightly. He had found his parents, and just like the small group thought, they were dead. His mother laid motionless, hugging his father and holding a childhood picture of him in her lifeless hands. He grabbed it.

He took one more look at his parents, his mother's beautiful face was sunken in and her hair dead and dull. Her once beautifully glowing tan skin was now a sickening grey. His father didn't look any better. He could see the outline of their bones through their skin, proving to him that they had been dead for some time and were decomposing.

This was no way to leave them.

He threw a white sheet over them before turning around to leave. He was surprised and a little frightened when he saw Katie standing against the doorframe, her crowbar gleaming slightly in her hands.

For a moment, they just looked at each other. She wanted to offer him words of condolence and tell him they died the best way possible considering the circumstances, but she knew it would just make him lash out. He wasn't ready to accept their deaths as anything but a tragedy.

"What? Not gonna gloat that you were right about them being dead?" he asked, ending the awkward silence.

"Jim… I didn't want to be right."

"But you did Katie. And you were. Happy now?"

"Of course I'm not happy!" she snapped. "Why the hell would I be happy that your parents are dead?" she paused. She knew what she was about to say next was going to get him mad, but she was never good at holding her tongue. "Look, it's better this way. You'll see in time. They died peacefully. They don't have to suffer being a mindless psycho out there on the streets."

Jim let out a humorless laugh. "Was that supposed to make me feel better?" he pushed past her roughly, nearly knocking her down. "It didn't work."


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own 28 Days Later

Jim clutched the picture his mother had been holding in his hand. On the back was a note meant for him. With his long index finger, he traced the words.

His mother had written it. He knew because she always wrote beautifully. He reread the note, tears were stinging at his eyes. The note begged for him not to wake up from his coma and witness what was going on, but he had. He woke up and found his dead parents in his childhood home.

Happy memories had been made here. Now, all he would remember was finding his parents lifeless bodies on their bed. Jim didn't know if he could handle this new world, handle the site of his parents bodies whenever he closed his eyes.

His mother had been so beautiful, now she was just a decomposing corpse whose foul odor lingered in his senses.

"You should be grateful. They went peacefully."

Jim looked away from the picture and at Selena. He frowned. He was at a loss for words, how could these people not see that it was wrong how his parents died?

Katie sat on the other side of the room, purposely keeping her distance from him. He almost wanted to thank her for being quiet and keeping her rude comments to herself. He saw her holding a bottle of his father's scotch in her hand, occasionally taking large swings of it. He wasn't sure how she could drink it without coughing or making a disgusted face. Apparently, she had developed the acquired taste for scotch. Jim could tell by her occasional swaying that she had a buzz going.

The whole walk there she made fun of him. She felt the need to mock everything he said. Now that she was drinking, she was calm and silent. There were so many insults running through his head meant just for her, but he couldn't say them. It would have been too easy.

Actually, Jim pitied her. All the talking she did was a cover up. She was a sad, insecure woman that relied on alcohol. He knew this was the real her.

"I remember my dad had all this cash. He thought maybe we could buy our way onto a plane, even though cash was completely useless. Ten thousand other people had the same idea. The crowd was surging. I lost my grip on my sister's hand. I remember the ground felt very soft, and I saw I was standing on people. People who had fallen. Like a carpet. There were infected in the crowd- it spread fast. You couldn't get away, you could only climb, climb over more people. So I did that. So I climbed, I climbed on top of more people. I got up on top of this kiosk. Looking down you couldn't tell which faces were infected and which weren't. Then I saw my dad. Not my mum or my sister. My dad. I saw his face... Selena's right." Mark looked directly into Jim's eyes. "You should be grateful."

The three slept in the small living room, Katie and Selena on two of the couches and Mark on the armchair. It was as close to a bed either of them had in a while. For once, Katie was sleeping soundly. She figured it had a lot to do with the scotch she had drunk earlier. She was enjoying her peaceful slumber until the sound of glass shattering woke her up.

She rolled off the couch and hit the floor with a thud.

"Bloody hell!" she cursed, rubbing her slightly throbbing head and pushing herself up.

Mark jumped up and raced for the kitchen, yelling for the two women to help him. Katie grabbed her crowbar from her hiding spot under the couch and ran with Selena into the kitchen.

Jim wrested on the floor with an infected, trying to keep it away from his face while Mark was struggling with another. Katie ran to Mark and blindly swung at the infected, keeping her eyes and mouth closed. When she felt exhausted, she opened her eyes to see the infected was dead.

Letting out a shaky breath she didn't realize she was holding, she leaned against the kitchen island. Her hands were shaking and adrenalin coursing through her veins. Katie looked at the blood covered crowbar in her hand and frowned, allowing her eyes to wonder to the infected she had just put down. It was a woman. She didn't look much older than Katie.

This woman had a name, a life, and now she was dead.

Katie killed her.

She didn't want to, but she had to. She was now one of the few nameless faces she had put down. She told herself it was out of mercy, and to survive, but no amount of reasoning could ease her mind. It just added to her already shameful existence.

"Did any blood get into your mouth?" Selena demanded, still holding her weapon tight.

"I… What?"

"Did any blood get in your mouth or eyes, tell me now Jim."

"N-no! Nothing got in my eyes or mouth, I swear."

"What the hell did you do Jim?" Katie questioned, dropping her weapon on the island.

"N-nothing!" he looked around his kitchen. It looked like the murder scene's he'd only seen in movies. Blood was spattered on every wall. It was on him, on everyone. "I just came in here with a candle and-"

"You idiotic fool!" Katie nearly yelled. "That's what drew them here!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Mark?" Selena backed up for a moment, eyeing the man wiping at an open gash on his arm.

"W-wait, Selena, no!" before he could get another word out, Selena rushed at him, her machete slicing and slashing.

Katie looked away, trying to block out his screams. He'd been infected; she knew the moment he looked at them with his panic-stricken eyes. It had to be done, but that didn't make it any easier.

She and Mark never really got along and to say they were friends would be a lie, but she did have a certain respect for the man. Selena too.

"We need to get out of here!" Selena spoke, breathing heavy. She stood up straight and started going through all the cabinets. "More infected will come, they always do."

"That was my neighbor." Jim mumbled, pointing at the large man that had been attacking him.

"Do you have any clothes here?"

"He lived four doors down."

"Do you have any clothes?!" Jim nodded, still staring at his neighbor. "Then you better go change into something clean. We need to get out of here fast."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own 28 Days Later

"How did you know he was infected?" Jim asked, no longer decked out in his scrubs. He had changed into a basic pair of jeans, a shirt, jacket, and a skullcap on his head.

"The blood."

"Yeah… But there was blood everywhere. It was on all of us.

"Look, I didn't know he was infected." Selena admitted as the remaining three walked down the deserted streets. The sun was starting to set and they needed to find shelter. "I saw it in his face that he knew he was infected." The wind blew, making her short hair sway with it.

"So you killed him?"

"I had to. If someone gets infected, you only have 10 to 20 seconds before the virus takes over. It could be your brother, closest friend, whatever, but you need to kill them, it makes no difference."

"So what do we do now?"

"Mark- he was full of plans. Do you have plans Jim? What do you want us to do? Find a cure and save the world? Or maybe fuck and fall in love? Plans are useless Jim. Staying alive is as good as it gets." She said, almost sounding hopeless.

"There really isn't much to do now other than find a safe place for the night." Katie said, shoving her cold hands deep into her faded black leather bomber jacket.

"I should tell you where you stand with me. Katie already knows this, but you don't. If it happens to you, if you get infected, I will kill you in a heartbeat."

"She ain't lying." Katie chimed in, moving her backpack to rest on her other shoulder. "She did it to Mark and he's been with her longer than the both of us. I'd kill you too, you know."

Jim eyed both women as he placed more space between the three of them. He knew, even without Katie's confirmation, Selena would kill him if he were to be infected. He hadn't expected Katie to also admit she would kill him as well.

He decided at that moment, he too would kill them if anything. If Katie were to get infected, he would insist on being the one to put her down. It sounded cruel, but he didn't like her. His pity for her was not enough to make him ignore her attitude.

Looking forward, he spotted something.

"What's that?" he pointed to a tall building with balconies on every floor. On one of the top floors flashes Christmas lights.

"What's what?" Katie looked where he pointed. "Would you look at that. And here I thought for a moment you were going mad. Maybe it's a pretty light show."

"Shut up Katie." Jim mumbled. Selena rolled her eyes, but started walking towards it.

"Let's go see."

"Shopping carts, how cleaver." Katie spoke dully as they started to climb over the mountain of carts that were blocking the only way to get up the stairs.

"Your ass is in my face." Jim shoved her roughly when she reached the small opening at the top, making her tumble down painfully.

"Fuck you Jim!" she hissed, pushing herself up and her nose wrinkling. She felt a pain shoot through her tailbone and up her back. She knew her ass would be sporting a nice bruise by tomorrow. She let out a grunt when she stood up straight and another wave of pain hit her.

"We don't have time for this." Selena warned, already marching up the stairs. Katie looked up. Her mouth fell open slightly.

"You can't be serious. We have to walk all that?"

"The less you complain and start walking, the sooner you'll get there."

Katie let out a sigh, wishing she could be like Selena. Fearless, a leader, but she wasn't. She shoved past Jim, purposely trying to knock him down. Unfortunately, he didn't fall like she had hoped.

It wasn't that she hated Jim, actually, she thought he was an alright guy. Katie knew she had said something's that set him off and got on his nerves, but she wasn't sure how else to act. Jim probably hated her and she could understand why. She always said the wrong things and she always made fun of him. But she was used to dealing with mean people, most of the time she forgot not everyone wanted to hurt her.

"You want to take a break Jim?" Selena asked, breathing a little hard.

"No, we're almost there." Jim held a hand to his chest, feeling like his heart was about to burst out of it.

"I… I need a bloody break!" Katie struggled to get out, nearly crawling up the stairs. Selena smiled and sat down on a step.

"Alright. You don't have to pretend Jim, we'll take a break."

"Oh thank God!" he flopped down. Katie slid down the wall, breathing in deeply, trying to calm her hasty breaths. She let her crowbar rest beside her.

"You alright?" she heard Selena ask Jim. He cradled his head in his hands.

"I've got a terrible headache."

"Suck it up you pansy." Katie mumbled, still bitter about him shoving her.

Selena sighed, speaking before Jim could say anything back. "It's because you haven't got any fat in you, you've been eating nothing but sugar." she reached into her bag and pulled out a soda. "You've been on a sugar rush since you woke up and now you're coming down from it. You need some food, but unfortunately all we have is sugar, so it will have to do. Why didn't you say anything?" she held the soda out to him.

"Because," he reached for it, letting his hand purposely brush against hers. "I didn't think you'd give a fuck. You got anything other than Pepsi?" he asked, looking at the can distastefully.

"I have a can of Lilt."

He gave her a hopeful smile. "Do you have any Tango?" Katie rolled her eyes and mocked him when his head was turned.

"As a matter of fact, I think I have one can of that."

Katie gaged at how they flirtatiously smiled at one another. She was about to comment on it when she heard something. Her eyebrows knitted together as she crawled on the dirty floor and looked down the winding staircase.

"What's wrong Katie?" Selena asked, handing Jim the soda.

"Shhh." She held a finger up. Leaning closer, she heard it again. There was a grunt and footsteps that sounded like they were running. "Oh fuck me." She jumped up, grabbing her backpack and crowbar. "The infected! They're in here!"

Selena stood up quickly. "Shit, I hear them too. Run! Run!"

Jim shot up, nearly tripping on his own feet and dropping his soda. He would mourn over it later. His head was pounding and his heart was still beating wildly in his chest. He could no longer hear Selena yelling for them to run faster or Katie's cursing. All he could hear was his blood rushing through his body, his breathing, and heartbeat.

He knew the infected were close when he saw the looks of panic on both girls' faces when they glanced back.

Katie was scared. So scared that she thought she would piss herself. She had killed a few infected, but the fear of them didn't go away. To become one of them frighten her more than words could express. Her heart was beating like the thrumming wings of a caged bird. She was sweating and shivering.

She looked behind her again, but this time she tripped. Letting out a scream, she reached for the banister, but it slipped from her grasp due to her sweaty palms.

So this was how she was going to die?

Before she could think deeper into her awaiting death, she felt herself being jerked up and pulled crudely up the stairs until she got her footing back. Jim let her go and looked forward again.

Jim saved her.

"Hurry up now, get behind me." A man stood at the top of the stairs with a police shield and a baton raised over his head. Without a second thought, the three rushed past him and ran straight for the only door that was cracked open, but had a chain lock in place.

"Let us in!" Selena yelled, pounding on the door.

"Where is my father?" a young girl asked, peeking through the crack.

"What the fuck! Let us in!" Katie cried, looking behind her to see the mysterious man beating in the infected heads.

"Are you trying to kill us!"

"Where's my father." The girl repeated. Jim stood still, watching the man kill the infected. Once he was done, he walked over to the door.

"Let them in Hannah , it's alright." The girl opened the door and held it open for them.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own 28 Days Later

Katie looked around the small flat. It was nothing impressive, but had a warm vibe to it. There were a few pictures of the man, his daughter, Hannah, and a woman. Katie figured the woman was her mother. She assumed the woman was dead because she was nowhere in sight.

Hannah sat across from Katie, eyeing the trio as if judging them. She probably really was judging them. She was a pretty girl with blonde hair and intelligent blue eyes. She hadn't said much to either of them, she just watched, speaking to her father mostly.

Katie shifted uncomfortable in her seat next to Jim. He hadn't said a word to her and that wasn't unusual. What was unusual was she wanted to say something to him, to actually talk with him. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He was much more handsome than she remembered; perhaps it was because now she viewed him in a different light.

He had saved her. Maybe it was just an accident, maybe he was trying to shove her to the infected to buy him and Selena time, but either way, she was still alive because of him. Katie was sure he still didn't like her and was even more sure that he had a thing for Selena and her for him. What had frightened her was that she was starting to get a school girl crush on Jim.

Frank, the large and jolly man that had saved them, walked out of the kitchen holding a trey with glasses filled with a green liquid. Katie's eyes lit up, knowing exactly what it was. She sat up and started to smile at the prospect of getting another drink so soon. She figured the scotch at Jim's house would be her last drink for a while. Boy, she was lucky today. Jim rolled his eyes at her, but stayed quiet; even though he wanted to point out that she was acting like an alcoholic.

Frank set the tray down, grabbing a glass for himself and his daughter.

"It isn't much, but I figured we needed to celebrate."

Katie rushed for her glass, not caring how foolish she looked. She already knew it was nothing strong, but it was something. For years, she would watch her mother down mouth wash, but now she was not above doing the same thing. It shamed her, but not enough to completely toss the thought aside.

Frank held up his glass. "How about a toast?"

"Cheers indeed!" Katie smiled widely, clinking her glass quickly with everyone before downing her drink. No one said anything, they just watched, wondering if it was normal to get that excited over a drink. "Oh, apple sourz, been a while since I've had this. Want yours?" she asked Selena shamelessly.

Katie stepped out from the bathroom and quietly made her way to the living room. She had volunteered to sleep on the couch, letting Selena take the extra bedroom. Selena had offered to share with her, but for some reason, sleeping on the floor just didn't sound appealing and the bed was much too small for the girls to share.

She had managed to clean herself completely with just a bucket of lukewarm water and some cheap soap she had. It wasn't as good as a shower, but she did feel a lot cleaner, she had even managed to wash her hair. It was in the same dirty water she cleaned herself with, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She felt lucky that she didn't have to shave. Waxing everything had been part of her occupation. Years of ripping out body hair had made it grow back extremely slow.

She sat on the couch, letting out a soft sigh. Lit candles that had been placed randomly throughout the room, giving it a soft glow. Her body ached, mostly her butt, and her legs were sore from walking and running. All she wanted to do was sleep, but her mind wouldn't let her.

Across from her was Jim, his eyes closed and breathing soft. He had cut his hair and shaved off his beard. Katie hated to admit it, but he looked even better when he cleaned up. She eyed him longingly, remembering how he and Selena had looked at each other earlier when he thanked her for saving him. She had felt jealous at that moment, wanting him to look at her that way, but the only looks she had received from him were annoyed ones.

"You're staring at me. I can't sleep with your beady eyes watching me."

"Beady." She repeated, frowning. "I don't have beady eyes."

Jim opened his beautiful eyes and looked at her. "Whatever. Why are you staring at me? I won't transform into a bottle of whiskey or whatever you drink."

"Gin."

"What?"

"I drink gin."

"And yet for some reason I'm surprised. Don't know why."

Katie laughed softly, knowing he was not joking with her. "Contrary to what you think, I'm not an alcoholic."

"Funny, cause for someone who's not one, your eyes sure light up at the site of alcohol."

"Can't help it." She brought her legs up onto the couch. "I enjoy a drink, but not enough to qualify as an alcoholic." She wondered whom she was lying to. Jim or herself.

"What happened before the virus? Who were you?" he asked suddenly.

"I… I was Katie." She answered, not sure how to answer.

"You were Katie. That's it? We may not be friends, but I think in this hell we're in, we should at least know about each other." She couldn't help how disappointed she felt when he said they weren't friends.

"I would… I'd like to be friends Jim." She admitted, almost embarrassed.

"After being a bitch since the moment I met you, now you want to be friends. What? Is it cause I saved you? Trust me, I didn't plan on it, it just happened."

"No, not just cause you saved me. I… I just want to stop bickering all the time. I'm sorry for being mean. I really am. I just… I'm not good with people."

"I can see that."

"I'm trying Jim, stop making this hard."

He smirked. "Fine. We'll try to be friends. No more rude comments, no more teasing me, no more annoying me on purpose."

"Fine," she held both her hands up. "fine."

"So, gonna tell me about yourself now, buddy?" he teased, surprised by how quickly he dropped his distaste for her. She smiled.

"Only if you tell me about yourself."

"Sounds fair." He agreed. "Now tell me who you were before the virus."

"I was… I was Scarlet."

"Scarlet?" he repeated, looking confused.

"Yeah." She covered her face, not wanting him to see how ashamed she really was. Or maybe she didn't want to see the look of judgment pass his handsome face. "I uh used to be a stripper and that was my stage name."

Jim was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Why?"

"No money. I ran away from home at 17. I didn't have any money to my name. The club owner took me in. He said when I found something more solid, I could leave, but wouldn't you know it, I never found anything else."

Jim looked at her, not sure what to say. She still covered her face. He hadn't expected her to say she was a stripper nor that she had been a runaway. He hated how he felt bad for the woman that worked his nerves since day one. He stood up and walked over to her.

Unsure of what to do he sat next to Katie and awkwardly hugged her. He felt her body shaking under him and thought she was crying.

"Uh, don't cry please. I'm not good with that."

"I'm not crying." She uncovered her face, revealing a smile. "I'm laughing. You're so awkward, do you know that?" he let his arm drop off her, frowning.

"Well excuse me if I'm not used to comforting girls that I barely like."

"Am I that bad?"

"Yeah." He answered without hesitation.

"What did you want to be Jim?" she asked, wanting the attention off herself.

He thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. I change my mind a lot."

"Did you have a girlfriend before?"

"Did you?"

"Shut up, I'm serious."

"So am I." he mumbled. She playfully nudged him with her shoulder. "No. Had a boyfriend?"

"No." she laughed a little, leaning back into the couch. "It's kind of hard to have a meaningful or normal relationship when the only men you're used to throw money at you just to see your tits." Katie looked away from Jim when he started to stare unblinkingly at her. "What do you think about what Selena said earlier?"

"Huh?"

"You know, leaving Frank and Hannah because they would slow us down."

"I still think what I thought then. We need them. We can't leave them."

"Selena's not bad you know. She means well. She just wants to survive and make it to the end. What the end is, who knows, but out of all of us, I'm sure she'll be the one to find out." She didn't know why she was talking about the other woman to Jim.

"I'm not afraid to die." He leaned his head back on the couch. "I don't want to, but I'm not afraid to."

"Why?" She asked curiously, shifting her body so she could look at him better. Katie couldn't help but to admire how his skin glowed beautifully in the candle light.

"Cause my parents will be waiting for me. I know it. My parents, my friends, everyone. How can that be a scary thing? Sounds like something to look forward to."

"So why do you keep fighting to live?"

"Because I want to know that I tried my hardest to live, to make it to the end. My parents would be ashamed of me if I just gave in and didn't try. For them, I try."

"They'd be proud of how your fairing Jim. I believe their watching you, smiling and proud." He looked at her, surprised by how her words managed to bring comfort to him.

"What about your parents?"

"Mine? I doubt they would care." She looked down sadly at her feet. "They never really cared actually."

"I'm sure they-"

"No, Jim. My mother was an alcoholic and my father ignored me… They both did. I doubt they even realized I left for a while." He listened to her speak, absorbing her words. He understood now.

She made sense to him and regrettably, he wanted to know more about her.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Thank you to -Hale for reviewing! I thought I was the only one who still loved 28 Days Later.

Disclaimer: I don't own 28 Days Later

"We can't leave! You must have a death wish!" Selena threw her hands up for emphasis. Katie frowned, leaning against the door that led down from the roof and into the building.

"We can't stay here Selena. What if our only hope is Manchester? It's worth a try." She was tired of always running. She wanted a safe place to rest for a while. Manchester had to be the answer to their problem. It had to be and she refused to think otherwise.

"Katie, what the hell do you suppose we do if the broadcasting is a lie? What if there is no safe haven or answer to infection. Then what do we do?"

"It's better to try. What if it is our only hope. We'll never know if we don't go. We can't stay here, the infected are running out of food and will only be drawn to the city."

"You're really smart, you know that Hannah?" Katie praised, making the young girl smile sheepishly.

"Fine! If we don't make it, I'm gonna-"

"Kill us, we know Selena, we know." Jim smiled at the agitated look on Selena's face, but stayed quiet. "To Manchester we go!" Katie sang full of hope, twirling around on the rooftop. Hannah giggle.

Jim watched Katie silently. She looked different with her hair washed and face clean. Her smile seemed brighter. He didn't want to admit it, but he had bonded with her the night before, opening up more than he had in a while. It felt good to talk to someone, let his fears be known and understood.

Selena was great on the eyes and saved his life twice, but she was hard to talk with. He was sure she would tell him to man up if he even tried opened up to her.

Katie wasn't perfect and the real her was actually pleasant much to his surprise. He liked her when she was able to joke without being mean. He enjoyed how she laughed at his jokes, not giving him odd looks like other girls had.

But most of all he liked how she made no excuses for what she did in the past. She didn't blame her hard childhood for the path she took, she blamed herself for not trying to find a better way instead.

They weren't best friends, but what they did have was an understanding and respect for one another.

"Can you really do that?" Hannah asked as Katie gently brushed her hair, trying not to pull on it when their car hit bumps. It was her attempt to keep the young girl from focusing on the dead bodies outside. All the death and decay. She wasn't really sure why she wanted to protect the girls innocence as much as she could, but something in her made her more than happy to try.

"Course you can. You can do anything in London, just gotta know the right people."

"She's a kid, why are you telling her places you used to score porn and bootleg movies from for cheap?" Selena asked, sitting across from the other two girls and next to Jim.

"Not just any bootleg movies, theater quality bootleg movies." Katie corrected, moving the brush from Hannah's hair.

Selena rolled her eyes. "It's still illegal."

"Was illegal." Katie held a finger out to the other woman. "You mean was. Who's gonna arrest me for watching an illegally made copy of a movie?" she looked around the taxicab Frank was currently driving. "And I'm gonna guess by everyone's silence that you've all realized no one will."

"I wish I knew about this place before. I can't even tell you how much money I wasted at the theater for shitty movies."

"Oh, not you too Jim." Selena looked at him, her mouth parted slightly. She hadn't expected the two to act civilly to one another as they had the whole day. The pair had even shared a few laughs with one another.

Selena realized it actually bothered her.

"Lighten up Selena. I'm sure you've done some naughty things in life before all this. I bet you've seen some great porn-"

"You know, I let Hannah sit back there because I figured it would be nice for her to be around people, but if you keep talking about porn, I'm gonna have her sit up here with her old man." Hannah frowned, folding her arms over her chest.

"I'm not a kid any more dad. I can listen to them talk about porn."

"Don't push it young lady." Frank looked at her through the rearview mirror. "And you Katie, you should know better than to talk like that around a young girl."

"Katie knowing when to shut up. That's a good one." Selena mumbled, looking out the window. Katie frowned at the other woman.

"Piss off Selena."

Selena had never been her favorite person since meeting the woman. She hardly ever laughed, she always chastised Katie, and took everything way too serious for her taste. She doubted the two would ever be friends because they were so different, but she did respect Selena.

"See what I mean, we don't need Hannah picking up that language."

"Dad!" the young girl whined.

"Don't you dad me." The car started to slow down. "So, what should we do?" Everyone looked out the window. They were in front of a tunnel; next to it was a road above ground.

"I say we stay above ground, in direct sunlight and take the long way. It's safer." Jim rationally suggested.

"Going through the tunnel will take us directly to the river." Selena stated.

"I vote tunnel."

"Are you mad Katie?"

"No, well perhaps slightly. Live a little Jim, take a risk. It'll be faster for one."

"You're crazy. It won't work."

"I'm with Katie on this."

"Really Frank? I'll tell you why this won't work. It's crazy. Fucking crazy."

Katie rolled her eyes. "Shut up you pansy."

"We should do it." Selena's lips curved into a rare smile.

"So, it's settled." Frank started the car again.

"You got to be kidding me. This is obviously a shit idea, because… it's obviously a shit idea."

Frank drove the cab into the tunnel but came to a stop. The group peered out the windows, each awed by what they saw.

"Whoa. Fucking crazy shit man." Katie murmured to herself.

Cars were piled up on top of each other, leaving no space for their cab to get through.

"What did I tell you? This was a shit idea. I told you this wasn't gonna-"

"Hold on."

"Have you lost your marbles Frank?!" Katie asked, but received no answer.

He started to drive over the cars, making the cab ride feel like a roller-coaster. Their car dangerously teetered sideways, but did not fall over. Everyone held on tightly, but started to smile. It was one of those rare moments when they were happy. Even Selena was smiling and laughing.

For a moment, Jim looked at Katie. He wasn't sure why, but he did. She held on tightly, holding Hannah's hand. She looked happier than he had seen her since they met, almost as if the world wasn't in chaos.

He couldn't explain what was happening, and truthfully he hated it, but he was starting to feel something for the dark haired woman. It wasn't the usual dislike he had grown to feel the last few days of knowing her, this was different. When he looked at her at that moment, he felt himself smiling even more.

He was happy because she was happy.

It almost frighten him to admit he was glad they took the tunnel, just so he could see her smile so beautifully.

He was starting to like Katie and all it took was one night of being open with each other.

"Fuck." Frank poked his head outside his window. "We've got a problem." Frank frowned as the car came to a stop once they got past all the cars.

"What do you mean by problem?" Selena asked, looking worried.

"Seems we got a flat."

"Real shitty place to get a flat, huh Frank?" Jim was no long amused.

"We have to do this quick, come on Hannah."

"Smart and talented. How jealous am I of you." Katie playfully nudged the young teen.

They all quickly got out the car, stepping out of the safety zone and into the dark, damp tunnel. Selena held the flashlight, looking around multiple times. Frank pulled out a jack from the trunk and he and Hannah began to work to replace the flat.

Jim looked down the tunnel, in the direction they had driven from. Something wasn't right, he could feel it. He looked to Selena to see if she felt anything, but she just calmly stood still, holding the flashlight for young Hannah, who was under the car.

Then he heard something that made him feel unsettled. He felt someone looking at him. It was Katie. She was biting her lower lip, looking fearful. She must have felt something was off as well.

"I don't like this." She mumbled to herself, her arms wrapping around her midsection.

"Hey," he knew he heard a squeaking sound. "hey, hey, hey, you guys hear that?" Everyone stopped moving. The squeaking grew louder.

"What the fuck is that?" Katie asked in a harsh whisper. Suddenly a swarm of rats ran towards them. Katie let out a loud gasp and pressed herself to the cab. "Ew, ew, ew, fuck me, ew!"

Hannah let out a scream, frantically brushing the rats off her. She felt herself being pulled from under the car by Jim and her father.

Selena was silent for a moment, slowly backing up. She now understood why the rats had all ran out the tunnel.

"The infected… They were running from the infected!" she pointed down the tunnel. Sure enough, a large hoard of infected was running towards them.

"Hannah!" Katie shouted. "You need to hurry!"

"Forget the jack, just lift it!" Frank ordered as he and Jim did their best to lift the car. An almost inhuman shriek down the tunnel made Katie's skin crawl. They were getting closer, jumping effortlessly from car to car. Her breathing picked up.

There was no way they could fight off this many.

"Hurry! We need to leave now!" Selena held her machete, but her face gave away that she knew. She knew that if they didn't leave on time, they'd all die.

"Hannah!" Katie nearly pleaded her face cadaverous, nearly chalk white.

"I'm almost done!" she assured, astoundingly calm. "One, two, three, four, drop it!" both men let the car go.

"Get in! Get in now!" Selena ordered, pushing Hannah into the car.

"Come on!" Jim jumped into the cab, pulling Katie in with him. Frank hopped in last, starting the car just as an infected slammed its face into the back window. Hannah screamed, grabbing onto Selena, who screamed as well.

Even in the darkness of the tunnel, everyone could see the blood red color of the infected man's iris.

"Fucking shit!" Katie buried her face in Jim's shoulder. He could feel her shaking, hear her breathing heavy. He was almost sure he could smell her fear.

"Fucking drive! Drive!" Frank pulled off just before another infected could smash its unfeeling fist into the window.

Katie pulled away quickly from Jim, adding more space between them. No one had seen how she nearly threw herself at him when she had gotten scared, and hopefully Jim had been too panicky to notice. She let out a relieved, yet nervous laugh as she rolled her window down and let her upper body hang out. Giving the infected the middle finger solute, she gave a hearty yell.

"That was fucking close!" Jim slumped back in his seat, laughing. Katie came back inside the car, her hair looking wild.

"What a rush!"

"You got that right." Selena agreed, smiling.

Katie leaned against Jim for a moment, still laughing, but quickly sat up straight when she felt him stiffen. She didn't mean to cross his boundaries, actually she didn't even know what they were. Selena eyed the two, watching how they nervously made space between themselves. She still smiled, but remained quiet.

Jim looked out the window, holding his hand out and letting the wind lightly assault it. He felt weird. From the corner of his eye, he could see Katie with her eyes close and breathing steady. She was asleep. A part of him wanted to reach out and touch her face, kiss her cheek softly even.

His affections for this girl were growing more than he wanted to admit. He liked her witty humor and her risk taking ways. He would even go as far as to say he even liked that she was a smartass.

He pulled his hand back in and looked at Selena. She was talking softly to Hannah. It seemed like both women had a soft spot for the girl. She was smiling at something the teen had said. Oh, there was that smile he liked.

When Selena smiled, it was radiant. She was the type of girl that had a smile that reached her eyes. He wondered what it was that she did before the virus. Who had Selena been?

"Hey Frank, pull over, would you?" she asked, looking out the window at a supermarket.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: Thank you reviewing!_

Disclaimer: I do not own the 28 Days Later, just Katie.

The bright lights nearly blinded Katie as soon as they had entered the motion censored doors. Eyeing the store carefully, a smile slowly made its way on everyone's face. No one was there, but it was full of food. They each grabbed a cart and raced off, getting whatever they thought they needed.

Katie rushed to the canned goods isle. She eagerly grabbed cans of fruit. It had been so long since she ate a fruit, she was about ready to open a can. She came to a complete stop when she spotted cans of pineapple. She started to grin, reaching for it, but there was a major problem: she was too short to reach them.

"You gotta be shitting me." She mumbled, still reaching.

"Need help?" an amused voice asked. She frowned.

"Of course I need help. Why would you ask if you see me struggling you prick."

Jim walked over and effortlessly grabbed the can. "Prick, huh?" she reached for it, but he snatched it away from her grasp. "My feelings are hurt, I don't think I want to give you these," he read the can. "pineapples."

"Come on Jim."

"Say sorry."

"Sorry." She grunted.

"What was that?"

"Sorry, alright."

He smirked, but dropped the can into her cart. She picked it up and held it to her chest, letting out a deep sigh.

"All that for some pineapple?"

"You have no idea. I love these. They taste like pure bliss to me."

"Well, in that case…" he reached up and grabbed a few more cans, tossing them into her cart. "This should be enough to keep you from becoming a bitch again." She frowned.

"I've been on my best behavior."

Jim smiled. He leaned forward, his lips barely touching her forehead. Katie stood still, curious to see what he was going to do. He let out a little laugh and moved away, tapping her chin playfully. "Yeah, yeah you have." He then walked away, leaving Katie slightly breathless and confused.

They all met up in front of the store, still smiling. Frank held up a plastic card. It was his credit card. He grinned as he placed it on the counter top used to ring up items.

"Oh, such a gentleman, paying for all this." Katie playfully bowed.

"Only the best for my company."

"We need to do this now or we'll be walking." Frank warned, looking at the occupants seated in the back of the cab.

"Right. Let's just do this." Selena stepped out of the car, Jim following. Jim held a baseball bad and Selena had her trusty machete.

"Not you Hannah." Frank lightly pushed her back into the driver's seat. "You stay here with Katie." Hannah rolled her eyes and sighed, but sat back down.

"It's no fair. I never get to do anything."

"Hey, now, he's only trying to protect you Hannah." Katie tried to explain holding her crowbar close just in case. They watched Frank walk up to a large oil truck and start to syphon it through a tube with his mouth. "It's so easy for the infected to get their hand on someone, once you're infected, it's over. You know that. He just…" Frank spit the gas that got into his mouth out and started to fill a container. "He wants to protect you." She ran a finger across the dashboard. "All of this will be worth it once we get to Manchester." She softly spoke, mostly assuring herself.

"Where are you going?" Selena demanded. Jim pointed with his bat to a sign that offered the best cheeseburgers. "We have enough food Jim."

"We don't have cheeseburgers." He rebutted before walking into the flimsy restaurant.

The smell hit him almost instantly. The smell of death burned down his nose and to his chest. He covered his face with the sleeve of his shirt. Food still sat on the counters, already decomposing and moldy. People sat in booths, some on laid the floor. They were all dead.

What disturbed him the most was a baby, still being held by its mother. It was dead. He let his arm drop from his nose, disgustingly use to the smell now. That was no way for a baby to die.

"Hello?" he managed to call, not really expecting anyone to answer him. He barely heard the noise, but it was enough to make him swing around and bring his bat down on whatever was behind him.

He had knocked it down, holding it under the weight of his foot. It was a boy. No, this was no boy. His irises were blood red. He was an infected. It fought under his foot, wanting to attack him. For a moment, he just looked into its eyes, and then he brought his bat down, ending his life.

He walked out of the little gas station restaurant, wiping off his bat with a cloth then tossing it aside. He didn't know it, but Katie had seen him. She wasn't sure what had happened, but she knew he killed.

"Did you find anything?" He faintly heard Selena's voice. His mind was still reeling from what he had just done. He'd never killed anyone before. "Jim, did you find anything?"

"No." he snapped, walking away from her. How could she kill the infected and not be bothered. He was sure she had killed many, but she made it look easy. He couldn't get the image of that boy out of his head. He needed to let it go.

For the time being, he was going to forget. He would forget the baby and the boy he had killed.


End file.
